Torteval Church
St. Philippe de Torteval, commonly known as Torteval Church, was designed by John Wilson in 1818 — his first commission in Guernsey and his only completed work outside St. Peter Port.
- Category: heritage
The tower and spire had suffered from moisture ingress for generations, and underlying structural issues also required attention, including corroding embedded steel supports and the deterioration of the limestone tower steps. Although the church is built from Perelle gneiss — an exceptionally hard stone — water had penetrated through weaknesses in the pointing.
The tower and spire were repointed in natural hydraulic lime, with colour dyes added to the mortar to better blend with the existing stone. The cockerel weathervane was removed, repaired, regilded, and securely reinstated at the apex of the spire.
Internally, badly eroded brickwork was carefully replaced, and the lobby walls were replastered using natural hydraulic lime. The original entrance doors were upgraded in Accoya timber, with glazed upper panels to introduce natural light. Finally, the uPVC rainwater goods were replaced throughout with black cast aluminium to improve both durability and appearance.
